Fiber collecting apparatus



March 12, 1963 L. R. MOEACHERN 3,080,598

FIBER COLLECTING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 4, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

070 MZWCMfPA/ March 12, 1963 R. MOEACHERN FIBER COLLECTING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 4, 1959 M .Wm m: w 6 a m 6 a V J a. 7 w Y z 8 4 AffaPMJKS M h 2, 1 L. R. MOEACHERN 3,080,598

FIBER COLLECTING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 4, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet s 2/' v INVENTOR.

L. R. M EACHERN FIBER COLLECTING APPARATUS March 12, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Feb. 4, 1959 INVENTOR.

a n r 4 m 3 r M w March 12, 1963 L. R. M EACHERN FIBER COLLECTING APPARATUS 5 sheetsqsheet 5 Filed- Feb. 4, 1959 3,686,598 FIBER COLLECTING API'ARATUS Loyd R. McEaehern, Greenville, S.C., assignor to The American MonoRail Co., Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Feb. 4, 1959, Ser. No. 791,108 14- Claims. (Cl. 15-312) This invention relates to the textile cleaning art and is particularly concerned with new apparatus for removing lint from textile machines and the floor adjacent thereto, and collecting and transporting such lint to a place of disposal.

In the production of yarn and fabric from textile fibers many short pieces of fiber are dislodged from the main body of fibers such as from the sliver, roving or yarn by the textile machines which are employed in the process and these short fibers, commonly known as lint, are light and float around in the air until they collect on parts of the textile machines, parts of the building, such as beams, roofs and overhead structures of one sort and another and, to a considerable extent, on the floor.

Since accumulations of lint may become entangled in the yarn or fabric during its production, it has long been necessary to remove such accumulations in order that the goods produced may be of a better quality.

For many years numerous inventors and other workers in the art have attempted to solve the problem of preventing such l-int accumulations but so far as I am aware, their efforts have been confined to removing accumulations of lint from the textile machines and parts of the building by directing streams of high velocity air against the accumulations. While this procedure is quite efi'ective in blowing lint accumulations off the machines, it possesses the distinct disadvantage that much of the lint so removed floats around in the air and accumulates on other parts of the machines or building from which is removed by air streams. This repeated removal and accumulation continues until the lint eventually reaches the floor and is collected by a sweeper at periodical intervals. Since such lint has usually picked up oil, grease and other dirt while on the floor and cannot be reworked into yarn, it is a distinct economic loss.

Although it has long been obvious that the lint should be collected promptly after it has been blown into the air and before it has collected elsewhere, no one, so far as I know, has heretofore provided a satisfactory means for accomplishing that result. It is clear that if the lint could be blown into the air and then collected before it could accumulate on the machines or parts of the building, the amount of lint in a textile machine room could be kept to a minimum and much of the collected lint would be clean and reworkable. Even the lint which might escape the collecting means and accumulate on the floor might be collected at short intervals and hence might not have become so dirty that it could not be reworked.

The present invention aims to solve effectively and more or less completely this long standing problem and achieves that aim by collecting the lint promptly after it is released and handling the lint so collected in such a manner that much of it may be reworked. The invention also provides new apparatus for removing lint from textile machines andalso new means for collecting lint.

The present invention will be better understood by those skilled in the art from the following specification taken in connection with the drawings which accompany it and in which:

one form ofapparatus embodying the present invention in operative position relative thereto;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the apparatus of FIG- 3,089,593 Patented Mar. 12, 1963 URE 1 with indications of some of the interior construction;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view of FIGURE 1, showing the lint removal door;

FIGURE 4 is a top plan view of a modified casing of another embodiment of the present invention;

FIGURE 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 55 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary end elevational view of the casing of FIGURES 4 and 5;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of the casing of FIGURE 4 with parts broken away;

FIGURE 8 is a top plan view of a modified form of the invention;

FIGURE 9 is a side elevational view partly in sectionv 1212 and 1313,' respectively, of FIGURE 11;

FIGURE 14 is a top plan view of another modified embodiment of the present invention;

FIGURE 15 is a fragmentary diagrammatic side elevational view of the apparatus of FIGURE 14;

FIGURE 16 is a fragmentary perspective view of another form of boot;

FIGURES 17 and 18 are respectively end and side elevational views of a modified form of the lower end of the suction tube of the foregoing embodiments of the invention; and I FIGURE 19 is a vertical view taken at right angles to FIGURE 13 and showing the shape of the openings into tubes 131 and 132.

One form of apparatus embodying the present invention is shown in FIGURES 1-3 in position relative to a spinning machine.

In FIGURE 1 is shown, in end elevation, a spinning machine .1 and apparatus mounted to travel thereover and capable of creating streams of air. Certain parts of this apparatus are like corresponding parts which are shown and described in US. Patent No. 2,851,716, issued September 16, 1958. Rods or pipes 2 extend up from the top creel board 3 of spinning machine and support transversely extending arms 4 on which is supported a track consisting of three rails 5. A carriage is mounted to run on the track and consists of two trucks '7 connected together by a plate 8. Each truck carries a roller 9 on the underside thereof to run on the top of the middle rail and current collecting rollers 9a at the lower ends of the arms of each truck engage the undersides of the outer rails. A motor 10 is attached to the underside of plate 8 and its rotor shaft extends up through the plate andhas a centrifugal fan 13 attached thereto just above the plate 8.

Instead of the fan casing of the foregoing patent, the apparatus of FIGURES l-3 is provided with a casing 15 which has an interior horizontal partition 16 provided with an opening 17 above the fan to serve as a passage for air to enter the fan. The casing has partitions 18 therein extending'downwardly from partition 16. Partitions 16 and 18 form separate conduits 19 and 20 within casing 15. Conduits 19 lead outwardly and downwardly from the discharge side of the fan and conduits 20 extend from the fan intake 17 outwardly over partition 16 and downwardly outside of that partition. Casing 15 is preferably constructed of sheet metal and its conduits terminate above the head level of the machine attendants.

I Tubes 2d are attached to the lower ends of conduits 19 and extend downwardly alongside of the creel and the under frame of the spinning machine. Tubes 21 receive air discharged in large volume and at high velocity from fan 13 and are provided with air outlets 22 at various vertically spaced places therealong to direct portions of the air stream toward parts of the spinning machine.

. quite, into contact with the floor beside the spinning machines. Preferably, the lower ends or" these tubes 25 are widened in a direction transversely and lengthwise of the spinning machines and the trailing side 26 of the tube should be in contact with the floor while the leading side 27 of the tube is spaced a short distance away from the floor, for example from about inch to about inch. Tubes 21 and 25 may be made as a unit, if desired.

In conduits 20 above the upper end of tubes 25, is disposed a screen 30 for the purpose of separating lint from the air streams which flow upwardly through tubes 25.

A clean-out door 3-1 is hinged to each conduit 20 and at its lower end is secured a cup 32 which serves to collect any mass of fibers which may become dislodged from screen 39 and which would otherwise tend to impede the flow of air to screen 30.

The operation of the apparatus of FIGURES 1 to 3 will be understood by those skilled in the art from the foregoing description of its construction but it may be succinctly described as follows: I

The carriage is propelled along the track over a row of aiigned machines by a motor (not shown) and motor 16 is energized with resultant rotation of fan 13 which will draw air up through tubes 25 conduits 2i and through opening 17 into the fan and will discharge air at considerable velocity down through conduits 19 and tubes 21. The conduits 20 may be considered as low pressure conduits and conduits 19 as high pressure conduits. This air will escape through the various openings 22 and will impinge on various parts of the spinning machine thereby dislocating lint therefrom. Some of this lint will gravitate toward and collect on the floor where it will be in the line of air streams flowing downwardly and inwardly under the spinning machine. These streams will blow the lint along the floor to places adjacent to the path of travel of tubes 25. The air drawn into the fan 13 through tubes 25 will pick up lint which is within the area of influence of the suction at the lower ends of tubes 25 and will carry such lint upwardly in conduits 25 until the lint encounters and collects on srceens 30. Thus, in the travel of the above described apparatus over a plurality of spinning machines lint will be dislodged from those machines and considerable portions of it will be directed downwardly toward the fioor and transversely of the spinning machine. When such lint reaches the floor near the far side of the spinning machines and comes within the area of influence of the suction in the adjacent tube 25 the lint will be sucked up into that tube and separated from the air by screen 36. Since the conduits 19 and 20 are not spaced apart in the direction of travel of the apparatus, the lint blown transversely of a spinning machine by one conduit 19 may not reach the far side of spinning machine in time to be picked up by tube 29 at that side of the machine but such lint will be picked up by tube 29 on the next trip of the apparatus over the spinning machine. it will be understood that when the lint is removed at short intervals from a spinning machine, the amount so removed 53 by each successive pass of the above described apparatus from a given spinning machine will be small and hence lint blown toward one aisle during the passages of the apparatus over a spinning machine may be picked up during the next trip of the apparatus over that area.

The apparatus shown in FTGURES 4 to 7 inclusive resembles in many respects the apparatus shown in FIG- URES l to 3. The, major differences are in the construction of the casing. It is contemplated that the track, the carriage with its appurtenant parts, and the motor and fan will be substantially iike those parts shown in FlG- URES 1 to 3.

In FIGURES 4 to 7 the casing 35 has a bottom wall 36 to rest on the carriage, top wall 37 and side walls 38 which extend outward convergingly. The casing formed by walls 36, 37 and 3% has downwardly extending conduits 40 and 41 which terminate above head level. Within the casing 35 vertical partitions 42 and horizontal partitions 43 define a fan chamber 45 and a vacuum chamber 46 thereabove, as well as passages 47 from the fan chamber to conduits 41 and suction passages 48 from inlet conduits as. The bottom wall of suction passages 4% are preferably provided with clean-out doors 5% through which may be removed lint which is separated by screens 51 from air flowing from conduit 41 through passages 48.

In FIGURE 6 it will be noted that the part of casing 35 which defines conduit 41 extends a short distance below the lower end of the part of the casing defining conduit 40.

The operation of the apparatus of FIGURES 4 to 7 inclusive is quite like that described above in connection with FIGURES l to 3, and hence it is believedv that no further description need be stated at this time.

The modified embodiment of the present invention which is shown in FlGURES 8, 9 and 10 is in many respects quite like other previously described embodiments. The casing 86 is generally rectangular in plan view and comprises a central section and two side sections. The central section includes a bottom wall 81 which is to rest on the carriage, a top wall 82, a horizontal partition 83 between the top and bot-tom walls, vertical side walls 84, vertical end walls 85 and interior vertical walls 86 disposed between the top wall 82 and partition 83 and converging from the side walls 84 toward the passage 88 through partition 83. The chamber defined by bottom wall 81, side and end walls 84 and 85 and partition 83 may be considered as a pressure or fan chamber for fan 13 which is disposed therein and receives its air through passage 88. The space between top wall 82 and partition 83 may be considered as the low pressure or vacuum chamber since fan 13 withdraws air therefrom through passage 88.

A vertical wall 89 extends from bottom wall 81 to partition 83 in the fan chamber and defines a space, around the fan and an outlet therefrom indicated at 90.

The section of the casing on the right side of the apparatus is generally rectangular in plan view as seen in FIGURE 8 and is defined by a top wall 96 which is an extension of wall 82 of the central section and by downwardly extending walls 97, 98 and 99 and bottom wall or door 190 which together define a chamber 101 of enlarged volume into which air and lint may be drawn by fan 13 through conduit 102 and a tube 103 extending therefrom to a place close to the floor and having its lower end open to permit the suction created by the fan to draw lint into the boot and carry it up into the separating chamber 1911. Within chamber 161' is disposed a screen 104 which serves to retain the lint in chamber Hi1 while permitting the air to flow freely into the low pressure chamber and thence through passage 88 into the fan intake.

The section at the other side of the central section is quite similar in construction to the just described end section. It has a lint-collecting chamber 101' defined by top wall 96, downwardly extending walls 97, 98', 99'

and bottom door 100'. This section is provided with a downwardly extending conduit 102 and a flexible, bendable tube 103, both of these parts being quite like the correspondingly numbered parts of the other section of the casing.

Along one side of section 95' a conduit 115 extends which is generally rectangular in vertical cross section and near one end receives the outlet 90 from the fan chamber and at the outer end includes a downwardly extending conduit 116 which, like conduits 102 and 102, terminates above head level and which, like those conduits, has attached thereto the upper end of a flexible tube 117. This tube extends downwardly and is provided with as many outlets or nozzles thereabove as may be desired to remove lint from the textile machine over which the device is to travel.

Conduit 115 is preferably provided with damper 120 therewithin and an air outlet in the top wall by which the flow of air into tube 117-may be regulated. This outlet m'ayconveniently be formed by'providing a hole 125 in the top wall of conduit 115 and a slide shutter 126 which can he slid in guides 127 to open or close hole 125 For example, when there is to be a decrease in the amount of air to be discharged into boot 117, damper 120 may be partly closed and shutter 126 may be moved to open hole 125 to the desired extent. When all the high velocity air is to go into tube 117, the damper is moved to fully open position and opening 125 is closed.

It will be understood that, when desired, conduit 115 may be duplicated on the other side of the casing and another outlet 90, conduit -116 and boot 117 may be added.

It will be noted that each pair of walls 86, as seen in FIGURE 8, converge and serve to direct to passage 88 the air traveling by suction through chambers 101 and 101 thereby facilitating and making more eificient the suction action of the fan.

The operation of the apparatus of FIGURES 8 to will be understood by those skilled in the art from the foregoing description but briefly stated it is as follows:

When the carriage is traveling along the track and fan 13 is rotating, suction-induced flow of air will take place through tubes 103 and 103' and lint in the area of influence of the open lower ends of those tubes will be sucked up into chambers 101 and 101 respectively with the lint being retained by the screens in those chambers while the air travels into the lower pressure chamber and thence through passage 88 into the intake side of fan 13. This air will then be propelled through outlet 90 from the fan chamber and into conduit 115 thence down through tube 117 and out through the holes or nozzles thereof. The streams of air flowing through the nozzles at dilferent elevations will strike the machine and dislodge accumulations of lint from the machine while the air flowing through the bottom outlet from tube 117 will blow along the floor beneath the machine and propel lint accumulations to an area which will be within the influence of the suction in tube 103. As in the other modifications, lint may be removed from chambers 101 and 101' by opening the doors 100 or 100' dislodging it from the screens and removing it at frequent or necessary intervals.

The embodiment of the present invention shown in FIGURES 11 to 13 resembles the other modifications described herein but combines the elements thereof in a ditferent manner. The apparatus shown in these figures is quite like that shown in FIGURES 4 to 7 in so far as the carriage, motor, fan and casing are concerned.- However, in FIGURES 11 to 13 the suction system includes two tubes 130 extending downwardly from the casing 129 and each of these tubes is provided with a plurality of inlet nozzles or pipes 131, 132 and 133. Inlet pipes 131 extend out from near the creel for the purpose of collecting lint in the air and on the packages of roving on the creel as well as lint on the creel boards. Inlet pipes 132 have their open ends positioned adjacent to the drawing rolls and are for the purpose of removing lint from the spinning machine on, under and back of the drawing rolls as well as on the other adjacent parts of the machines and from the air in the vicinity of those rolls. Pipes 133 extend from adjacent to the floor and have openings in their lower ends to collect lint on and near to the floor. High pressure boots 136 provided with adjustable nozzles 137 serve to blow lint from the machines at various levels, and outlets 138 direct air streams upwardly to remove lint from above the machines.

As is better indicated in FIGURE 11 the ends of casing 129 may be widened in the direction of travel, and when so widened, the place of attachment of the high pressure tubes 136 may be spaced a short distance apart from suction tubes 130. When one tube 136 is spaced ahead of the adjacent suction pipe 130 and the nozzles 137 of tube 136 are directed forwardly, the suction pipe 130 will be able to pick up much of the lint as it is blown 011 the machine by air from tube 136.

FIGURES l4 and 15 show respectively side elevational and top plan views of a modified form of the present invention. In these figures the carriage is supported for movement along the track substantially as'described above in connection with the other modifications and this carriage supports a motor 140 having a horizontal rotor shaft 141 extended beyond each end of the motor housing and connected at both ends to fans 142. Each fan is enclosed in casing 143, part of which extends outwardly and then downwardly to above head level and has a tube 145 similar to the tubes 21 0f FIGURE 1 or 136 of FIGURE 12. The other part 146 of the casing is separated from part 143 by a partition 147 and extends outwardly and downwardly and is fitted with a suitable tube 148 having nozzles such, for example, as those shown in FIGURES 1 and 12. ,Single tubes, such as are shown in FIGURES 1 and 8, or compound boots as are shown in FIGURES 11-13, may be made by making suitable alterations in casing conduits. A passage 149 through partition 147 serves to admit air into the fan intake.

It will be understood that when the fans are rotating,

' air will flow upwardly in tubes 145 and this air will be propelled downwardly through tubes 148 and nozzles 137 against the machines. Thus, each fan will serve the dual purpose of removing lint from the machine and simultaneously collecting lint from near the fioor and carrying it upwardly into the casings. In these casings, filter screens 150 are positioned to separate the lint from the air. Such lint may be removed from the screens by opening the doors 151 and scraping the lint oh? the screen, as has been described above in'connection with other modifications of the invention. p

FIGURE 16 shows fragmentarily a compound boot which may be shaped to fit and used with several of the above described devices. That boot includes a high pressure tube 150 having nozzles 151 and a suction tube 152 attached thereto. Boots as so shown are disclosed and claimed in my co-pending application Serial No. 791,105 filed February 4, 1959, now Patent No. 3,045,929.

In FIGURES l7 and 18 is shown a modification of the lower end of the suction tube such as those of FIGURES 9 and 13. As these figures show, the lower end of the suction tube stops well short of the floor and is provided with an extension 161 connected to the tube, as by a hinge pin 162 and having at its trailing edge a flexible wear strip 163 which engages the floor. A flexible sleeve 165 is secured to the tube above the pivot pin and to the extension below the pivot pin, as by clamps 166, for the purpose of preventing leakage of air into the tube 160 around its connection to the extension 161. It will be understood that any of the suction tubes of each of the foregoing modifications may be equipped with the extension of FIGURES. 17 and 18.

- It will be understood that numerous parts of the sevas est;

. 7 eral above-described modifications may be alike. For example, the several modifications are especially devised for use in cleaning rows of aligned spinning machines, and in each modification a three rail track is contemplated on which is to run a carriage consisting of two trucks and a connecting plate pivotally connected to them and resting on their tops. Such a carriage is disclosed and claimed in US. Patent No. 2,851,716. It is also contem plated that, as shown in several modifications, a motor will be mounted on this plate. In all except the modifications of FIGURES 14 and 15 the motor is positioned with its rotor shaft extending upwardly vertically through the plate. In the modification of FIGURES 14 and 15 the rotor shaft is positioned horizontally. Various types of tubes may be used for both the high pressure and the suction purposes. The tubes 21 and 25 of FIGURE 1 may be replaced by tubes 117 and 103 of FIGURE 9 or tubes 136 and 130 of FIGURES 12 and 13, or by the tubes 148 and 145 of FIGURES l4 and 15. Likewise, the tubes of any of these figures may be substituted for those of any of the other figures. Moreover, the tubes of applicants co-pending application Serial No. 791,105, now Patent No. 3,045,929 as well as the co-pending application Serial'No. 636,615, filed January 28, 1957, now Patent No. 2,974,342, may be substituted for any of the tubes herein shown.

Having thus described this invention in such full, clear, concise and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, and having set forth the best mode contemplated of carrying out this invention, I state that the subject which I regard as being my invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in what is claimed, it being understood that equivalents or modifications of, or substitutions for, parts of the above specifically described embodiment of the invention may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in what is claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for simultaneously removing lint from a plurality of spinning machines arranged in rolls on a floor with aisles between adjacent rows and collecting lint from near the floors of the aisles, said apparatus comprismg (a) a trackway disposed lengthwise of, and centrally above, said rows of machines, I

(b) a carriage mounted for travel on said trackway,

(c) a laterally extending casing supported by said carriage and having its outer ends disposed in the aisles on opposite sides of a row of the machines,

(d) said casing having afan chamber, a vacuum chamber communicating with said fan chamber, high and low pressure conduits extending from the fan and vacuum chambers, respectively, to said outer ends of the casing,

(e) a high pressure tube extending downwardly from each high pressure conduit beside the machines and having at least one opening to direct an air stream toward an upper part of said machines to remove lint therefrom,

(f) a low pressure tube extending downwardly from each low pressure conduit beside the machines and having an inlet for air and lint near the floor,

(g) a fan in said fan chamber,

(h) a motor supported by the carriage for actuating said fan,

(i) and screening means fixed in the paths of travel of the lint carrying air streams to remove lint from said streams.

2. Apparatus for simultaneously removing lint from a plurality of spinning machines arranged in rows on a tloor with aisles between adjacent rows and collecting lint from near the floors of the aisles, said apparatus comprising (a) a trackway disposed lengthwise of, and centrally above, said rows of machines, i

(b) a carriage mounted for travel on said trackway,

(c) a laterally extending casing supported by said carriage and having its outer ends disposed in the aisles on opposite sides of a row of the macihnes,

((2) said casing having a fan chamber,.a vacuum chamber communicating with said fan chamber, highand low pressure conduits extending from the fan and vacuum chambers, respectively, to said outer ends 0t thecasing, n

(e) a high pressure tube extending downwardly from each high pressure conduit beside the machines and having at least one opening to direct an air stream toward an upper part of said machines to remove lint therefrom, i

(f) a low pressure tube extending downwardly from each low pressure conduit beside the machines and having an inlet for air and lint near the floor,

(g) a fan in said fan chamber,

(It) a motor supported by the carriage for actuating said fan,

(i) and screening means fixed in the low pressure conduits to remove lint from air streams flowing therein.

3. Apparatus for simultaneously removing lint from a plurality of spining machines arranged in rows on a door with aisles between adjacent rows and collecting lint from near the floors of the aisles, said apparatus comprising (d) a high pressure tube extending downwardly from 7 each high pressure conduit beside the machine and having at least one opening to direct an air stream toward an upper part of said machines to remove lint therefrom,

(e) a low pressure tube extending downwardly from each low pressure conduit beside the machines and having an inlet for air and lint near the floor,

(f) a fan in said fan chamber,

(g) a motor supported by the carriage for actuating said fan,

(/1) screening means fixed in the low pressure conduits to remove lint from air streams flowing therein, and

(i) a movable door means in the casing adjacent to said screen means for removal of lint therefrom.

4. Apparatus for simultaneously removing lint from a plurality of spinning machines arranged in rows on a floor with aisles between adjacent rows and collecting lint from near thefloors of the aisles, said apparatus comprising (a) a trackway disposed lengthwise of, and centrally above, said rows of machines,

(b) carriage means mounted for travel on said track- (0) casing means supported by said carriage means and having outer ends disposed in the aisles on opposite sides of a row of the machines,

(d) said casing means having communicating fan and vacuum chambers, high and low pressure conduits extending from the fan and vacuum chambers, respectively, to said outer ends of said casing means,

(e) a high pressure tube extending downwardly from each high pressure conduit beside the machines and having at least one opening to direct an air stream toward an upper part of said machines to remove lint therefrom,

(f) a low pressure tube extending downwardly from each low pressure conduit beside the machines and having an inlet for air and lint near the floor,

(g) motor means supported by the carriage means,

(h) fan means in the casing means and actuated by said motor means for causing high velocity air streams to flow in said high pressure conduits and tubes and low velocity air streams carrying lint to flow in said low pressure conduits and tubes,

(i) and screening means fixed in the path of travel of the lint carrying air streams to remove lint therefrom.

5. Apparatus for simultaneously removing lint from a plurality of spinning machines arranged in rows on a floor with aisles between adjacent rows' and collecting lint from near the floors of the aisles, .said' apparatus comprising i (a) a trackway disposed above, said rows of machines,

(b) a carriage mounted for travel on said trackway,

(a) casing means supported by said carriageand hav ing outer ends disposed in theaisles on. opposite sides of a row of the machines, 7

(d) said casing meanshaving communicating fan and -vacuum chambers, high and low pressure conduits extending from the fan and vacuum chambers, respectively, to said outer ends of said casing means,

(e) a high pressure tube extending downwardly from each high pressure conduit beside the machines and having at least one opening to direct an air stream toward an upper part of said machines to remove lint therefrom, v

(f) a low pressure tube extending'downwa'rdly from each low pressure conduit beside the machines and having an inlet for air and lint near the floor, each low pressure tube having thin flexible walls and collapse-resisting means in its walls, having a laterallyvenlar ged inlet and having means depending therefrom and engageable with the floor to space the open end of the tube from the floor,

(g) a motor supported by the carriage,

, (h) fan means in the casing means and actuated by said motor for causing high velocity air streams to flow in said high pressure conduits and tubes and low velocity streams to flow in said low pressure conduits and tubes, and

(i) screening means fixed in the path of travel of the lint carrying air streams to remove lint therefrom.

6. Apparatus for simultaneously removing lint from a plurality of spinning machines arranged in rows on a floor with aisles between adjacent rows and collecting lint from near the floors of the aisles, said apparatus comprising (a) a trackway disposed lengthwise of, and centrally above, said rows of machines,

(b) a carriage mounted for travel on said trackway,

(c) a laterally extending casing supported by said carriage and having its outer ends disposed in the aisles on opposite-sides of a row of the machines,

(at) said casing having a fanchamber, a vacuum chamber communicating with said fan chamber, high and low pressure conduits extending from the fan and vacuum chambers, respectively, to said outer ends of the casing,

(e) a high pressure tube extending downwardly from each high pressure conduit beside the machines and having at least one opening to direct an air stream toward an upper part of said machines to remove lint therefrom,

(f) a low pressure tube extending downwardly from each low pressure conduit beside the machines and having an inlet for air and lint near the floor, each low pressure tube having thin flexible walls and collapse-resisting means in its walls, a laterally enlarged inlet and means depending therefrom and enlengthwise of, and centrally 10 gageable with the floor to space the open end of the tube from the floor,

(g) a fan in said fan chamber,

(h) a motor supported by the carriage for actuating said fan to cause high velocity air streams to flow in said high pressure conduits and tubes and low velocity air streams carrying lint to flow in said low pressure conduits and tubes, and

(i) screening means fixed in the path of travel of the lint carrying air stream to remove lint from said streams.

7. Apparatus for simultaneously,removing lint from a plurality of spinning machines arranged in rows on a floor with aisles between adjacent rows and collecting lint from near the floors of the aisles, said apparatus comprising 1 (a) a trackway disposed lengthwise of, and centrally above, said rows of machines, a

(b) a carriage mounted for travel on said trackway,

(c) a laterally extending casing supported by said carriage and having an outer end disposed in an aisle on one side of the' machines,

(d) said casing having a fan chamber, a vacuum chamber communicating with said fan chamber, high and low pressure conduitsextending from the fan and vacuum chambers, respectively, to said outer end of the casing,

(e) a high pressure tube extending downwardly from said high pressure conduit beside the machines and having at least one opening on the side adjacent to the upper part of said machines,

(f) a low pressure tube extending downwardly from said low pressure conduit beside the machines and having an inlet for air and lint near the floor,

(g) a fan in said tan chamber,

(h) a fan actuating motor supported by the carriage,

and

(i) screening means fixed in the path of travel of the lint carrying air stream to remove lint from said stream.

8. Apparatus for simultaneously removing lint from a plurality of spinning machines arranged in rows on a floor with aisles between adjacent rows and collecting lint from near the floors of the aisles, said apparatus comprising (a) a trackway disposed lengthwise of, and centrally above, said rows of machines,

(12) a carriage mounted for travel on said trackway,

(c) a laterally extending casing supported by said carriage and having an outer end disposed in an aisle on one side of the machines,

(d) said casing having a fan chamber, a vacuum chamber communicating with said fan chamber, high and low pressure conduits extending from the fan and vacuum chambers, respectively, to said outer end of the casing,

(e) a high pressure tube extending downwardly from said high pressure conduit beside the machines and having a plurality of vertically spaced openings to direct air streams toward different parts of said machines well above the floor to remove lint therefrom,

(f) a low pressure tube extending downwardly from said low pressure conduit beside the machines and having an inlet for air and lint near the floor,

(g) a fan in said fan chamber,

(11.) a fan actuating motor supported by the carriage,

and

(i) screening means fixed in the paths of travel of the lint carrying air stream to remove lint therefrom.

9. Apparatus for simultaneously removing lint from a plurality of spinning machines arranged in rows on a floor with aisles between adjacent rows and collecting lint from near the floors of the aisles, said apparatus comprising (a) a'tr'ackway disposed lengthwise of, and centrally above, said row of machines,

(15) a carriage mounted for travel on said trackway,

(c) a laterally extending casing supported by said carriage and having an outer end disposed in an aisle on one side of the machines,

(d said casing having a fan chamber, a vacuum chamber communicating with saidfan chamber, high and low pressure conduits extending from the fan and vacuum chambers, respectively, to said outer end of the casing, 1

(e) a high pressure tube extending downwardly from said high pressure conduit beside the machines and having at least one opening to direct an air stream toward an upper part of said machine to remove lint therefrom,

(f) a low pressure tube extending downwardly from said low pressure conduit beside the machines and having an inlet near the floor and other vertically spaced inlets well above the fioor and near the machines for the entry of air and lint,

(g) a fan in said fan chamber,

(7:) a fan actuating motor supported by the carriage,

' and (i) screening means fixed in the path of travel of the lint carrying air stream to remove lint from said stream.

10. Apparatus for simultaneously removing lint from a plurality of spinning machines arranged in rows on a floor with aisles between adjacent rows and collecting lint from near the floors of the aisles, said apparatus comprising (a) a trackway disposed lengthwise of, and centrally above, said rows of machines,

(b) a carriage mounted for travel on said trackway,

(c) a laterally extending casing supported by said carriage and having an outer end disposed in an aisle on one side of the machines,

(d) said casing having a fan chamber, a vacuum chamber communicating with said fan chamber, high and low pressure conduits extending from the fan and vacuum'chambers, respectively, to said outer end of the casing,

(e) a high pressure tube extending downwardly from the high pressure conduit beside the machines and having a plurality of vertically spaced openings to direct air streams toward different parts of said machines well above the floor to remove lint therefrom,

(f) a low pressure tube extending downwardly from said low pressure conduit beside the machines and having an inlet near the iloor and other vertically spaced inlets Well above the floor and near the machines for entry of air and lint,

(g) a fan in said fan chamber,

(11) a fan actuating motor supported by the carriage,

and

(i) screening means fixed in the path of travel of the lint carrying air stream to remove lint therefrom.

11. Apparatus for simultaneously removing lint from a plurality of spinning machines arranged in rows on a fioor with aisles between adjacent rows and collecting lint from near the floors of the aisles, said apparatus comprising (a) a trackway disposed lengthwise of, and centrally above, said rows of machines,

(b) a carriage mounted for travel on said trackway,

(c) a laterally extending casing supported by said carriage and having an outer end disposed in an aisle on one side of the machines,

(a') said casing having communicating fan and vacuum chambers, and high and low pressure conduits extending from the. fan and vacuum chambers, respectively,

(d)(1) a high pressure tube extending downwardly 12 from said high pressure conduit beside the machines and having at least one opening on the side adjacent to the upper part of said machines, (e) a low pressure tube extending downwardly from said low pressure conduit beside the machines and having an inlet for air and lint near the floor, said low pressure tubehaving thin flexible Walls with collapse-resisting means in said walls, a laterally enlarged inlet end and means depending from said inlet end to space said end from the door, (f) a fan in said fan chamber,

g) a motor supported by the carriage for actuating said fan, and (h) screening means fixed in the path of travel of the lint carrying air stream to remove lint therefrom. 12. Apparatus for simultaneously removing lint from a plurality of spinning machines arranged in rows on a floor with aisles between adjacent rows and collecting lint y from near the floors of the aisles, said apparatus comprising (a) a trackway disposedlengthwise of, and centrally above, said rows of machines,

(b) a carriage mounted for travel on said trackway,

(c) laterally extending casings supported by said carriage and having their outer ends disposed in the aisles on opposite sides of the machines,

(d) each said casing having communicating fan and vacuum chambers and high and low pressure conduits extending from the fan and vacuum chambers, respectively, to the outer end of said casing,

(e) a high pressure tube extending downwardly from each high pressure conduit beside the machines and having at least one opening on the side adjacent to the upper part of said machines,

(f) a low pressure tube extending downwardly from each low pressure conduit beside the machines and having an inlet for air and lint near the floor, a fan in each fan chamber, a motor supported by the carriage between said fans and connected thereto for actuating said fans, and

g) screening means fixed in the paths of travel of the lint carrying air streams to remove lint from said streams.

13. The combination of elements set forth in claim 1 in which each low pressure tube has a laterally enlarged inlet and has means depending therefrom and engageable with the floor to space the open end of the tube from the floor.

14. The combination of elements set forth in claim 4 in which each low pressure tube has a laterally enlarged inlet and has means depending therefrom and engageable with the fioor to space the open end of the tube from the floor.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS OTHER REFERENCES Advertisement in Textile World, Mar. 1957, page 91, of the Parks-Cramer Company.

Parks Cramer (10., Advertisement No. 411, published Sept. 25, 1958. (Page 4.) 

7. APPARATUS FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY REMOVING LINT FROM A PLURALITY OF SPINNING MACHINES ARRANGED IN ROWS ON A FLOOR WITH AISLES BETWEEN ADJACENT ROWS AND COLLECTING LINT FROM NEAR THE FLOORS OF THE AISLES, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING (A) A TRACKWAY DISPOSED LENGTHWISE OF, AND CENTRALLY ABOVE, SAID ROWS OF MACHINES, (B) A CARRIAGE MOUNTED FOR TRAVEL ON SAID TRACKWAY, (C) A LATERALLY EXTENDING CASING SUPPORTED BY SAID CARRIAGE AND HAVING AN OUTER END DISPOSED IN AN AISLE ON ONE SIDE OF THE MACHINES, (D) SAID CASING HAVING A FAN CHAMBER, A VACUUM CHAMBER COMMUNICATING WITH SAID FAN CHAMBER, HIGH AND LOW PRESSURE CONDUITS EXTENDING FROM THE FAN AND VACUUM CHAMBERS, RESPECTIVELY, TO SAID OUTER END OF THE CASING, (E) A HIGH PRESSURE TUBE EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID HIGH PRESSURE CONDUIT BESIDE THE MACHINES AND HAVING AT LEAST ONE OPENING ON THE SIDE ADJACENT TO THE UPPER PART OF SAID MACHINES, (F) A LOW PRESSURE TUBE EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID LOW PRESSURE CONDUIT BESIDE THE MACHINES AND HAVING AN INLET FOR AIR AND LINT NEAR THE FLOOR, (G) A FAN IN SAID FAN CHAMBER, (H) A FAN ACTUATING MOTOR SUPPORTED BY THE CARRIAGE, AND (I) SCREENING MEANS FIXED IN THE PATH OF TRAVEL OF THE LINT CARRYING AIR STREAM TO REMOVE LINT FROM SAID STREAM. 